Heisman Trophy Watch 2010: Kellen Moore’s Last Hurrah?
Examining the 2010 Heisman Trophy race, ordering the potential candidates by threat level. This week: Denard Robinson pulls up, Terrelle Pryor pulls ahead, and has Kellen Moore already played his last statement game?
Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State
The Buckeyes' show pony pulls ahead again this week, using the opportunity to put up showy numbers against paltry Eastern Michigan to great effect. Pryor's 224 aerial yards marks his lowest output of 2010, but his completion percentage is at its highest point, and he added a rushing and a receiving score to his four TD passes. You want style points, Heisman voters? Here they are.
Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
The Broncos QB also made ample use of his high-profile matchup Saturday night, throwing for 288 yards and three touchdowns against a ranked Pac-10 team. Moore’s pedigree is no longer in question. OBNUG says he “kept his cool when it was most important and showed the world - via ABC/ESPN 3D - why he is the captain of this ship.” Building the Dam says he “demonstrated again that he’s deadly as a quarterback, and it doesn’t matter what the circumstances are.” The only hurdle remaining (and it’s a doozy) is sustaining this momentum through a forgettable WAC slate. Think he can somehow pass to himself against New Mexico State? We’re about to find out.
Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan
A panicky few hands were wrung over Robinson’s knee injury against Bowling Green, but it’s by all accounts a minor one. He’s slated to start against Indiana. And even before he left the game, Robinson managed 60 yards passing and 129 yards rushing. This shouldn’t set him too far back in the Heisman race. And even if his coaches do the smart thing and give him a few breathers down the stretch, remember: He’s just a sophomore. It’s a long season to try and carry an entire team.
ORANGE
Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Think of Ingram's chances as more of an orangey-red at this point. After missing the first two games of the season, and with up-and-comer Trent Richardson on his heels, it's still very, very conceivable that he could crack another 1,000-yard year. Arkansas was Bama's first big test of 2010, and Ingram acquitted himself admirably with 157 yards rushing and 27 more receiving. And the next show-me game is just days away, with the Florida Gators coming to town Saturday night.
Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
He won, all right, but it wasn’t always pretty -- those 238 yards came with two interceptions and just one score. Having made his mark on the national stage in the Important Part of football writer country, Luck now stares down his and the Cardinal’s most imposing football test of the year: a Saturday night road trip to Oregon with the GameDay crew in tow.
Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
Mallett is guy up in these lofty environs who most neglected to take full advantage of a national audience, in the form of throwing a gamebreaking interception (his third of the afternoon) that overshadowed his 357 passing yards. As a very large and strong-looking quarterback in the SEC, he’ll get more than his fair share of attention the rest of this fall, but this loss will be a tough one for voters to shake off.
YELLOW
Andy Dalton, QB, TCU
Week 4's other notable underachiever saw his completion percentage plummet to just 63.8 against SMU, where he threw for a season-low 174 yards and a season-high two interceptions. Like Kellen Moore, he simply can't afford missteps if he wants an invitation. Unlike Moore, he'll have one more big chance to prove himself, at Utah in November.
Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
His blowout game was a little longer in coming, but Newton’s presence in the 2010 Heisman race is newly indelible thanks to him passing for 158 yards and running/lumbering for 176 more, accounting for five touchdowns on the day against a supposedly-stout South Carolina defense. (Also, why is he insisting upon going by “Cameron” now? It makes for such unappealing scansion.)
Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada.
When you're held to your second-lowest passing and rushing totals of the season and still come out with close to 300 yards of offense to your name against BYU ... yeah, it's good to be Colin Kaepernick.
GREEN
LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
Accounted for 114 of the Ducks’ 145 rushing yards against Arizona State, but those aren’t the kind of numbers that will make Heisman voters swoon.
Jacory Harris, QB, Miami
Holding steady as the leader atop our high-risk, high-reward column, Harris threw for 248 yards, two touchdowns, and two picks in the Hurricanes’ Thursday-night blowout of Pitt.
BLUE
Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska
Martinez fell to earth a little this week, throwing two interceptions against South Dakota State while being held to his lowest rushing output of the season (75 yards). That said: Six completed passes for 140 yards? As a freshman? We’re still paying attention.
Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
A 60-yard punt return for a touchdown and a blocked field goal are just the sorts of moves a defender needs to get ahead in the Heisman race. Now Peterson's just got to keep this up for two more months. Cake!
Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
With only eight carries to his name in arguably Alabama’s toughest test of the season, it’s safe to shelve Richardson at this point. Dust off his hopes again once Ingram goes to the draft.
HOVERING BEYOND OUR RADAR
Daniel Thomas, Jacquizz Rodgers, Patrick Peterson, Jake Locker, Matt Barkley, Kendall Hunter, Christian Ponder.
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